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Catholic HEART Workcamp: A Valuable Opportunity for Students to Serve Others in Times of Difficulty
Although the pandemic meant that Catholic HEART Workcamp (CHWC) went on hiatus last summer, plans are underway this July for area high school students to travel to Kansas City to help struggling families with necessary home repairs.
College students conduct the camps that send students to various communities around the country.
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“They serve various communities with Corporal Works of Mercy,” says Mike Young, local CHWC liaison and Director of Christian Formation at Quincy Notre Dame. “The programs provided by the CHWC teams are opportunities for them to grow in faith.”
The high school students will usually have the chance to choose what work they would like to do, and the camp will try to place them according to their interests. Sometimes the students are placed with a social service agency, such as working with children, but most of the work targets individuals’ homes. The home tasks include interior and exterior painting, yard work, and even fence installation.
Ian Cawthon, a St. Peter parishioner and graduating senior from Quincy Notre Dame High School, has attended two Catholic HEART Workcamps and encourages other high schoolers to take part.
“My first year in Nebraska, we went to an older couple’s home and painted the interior,” he says. “At Texas, we worked at a lady’s home putting in a ceiling fan, doing yard work, and organizing closets.”
Ian’s travels with CHWC have helped him understand how he and his fellow students can bring the love of Christ to others.
“You have opportunities to help here, but when you go to other communities you get to see how others are struggling,” Ian says. “God uses you to help others in times of struggle.”
Not only are the campers bringing Christ’s love to those they are helping, but the campers also find themselves impacted by Christ’s love, as well.
In the evenings, the campers gather for Mass and adoration, as well as various programs presented by the college chaperones.
“This helps me grow,” Ian says of the evening sessions. “You see people from all over the country, all come together to pray as one Church. It really helps me grow.”
Ian’s involvement in campus ministry at Quincy Notre Dame has always been part of his Catholic faith, so when he learned about CHWC, he found that it also could help his spiritual growth.
“I’d always heard it was fun,” he says. “But I didn’t realize it would help me grow in faith as I helped people in need.”
Although the camp program accepts high school students, recent graduates are not usually included. However, once they are 21 years old, they may return as chaperones.
Ian recommends his schoolmates consider attending the camp.
“Get involved,” Ian says, “You don’t want to miss this experience. Get out there and serve. We’ve been called to serve.”
Ian is aiming to have a life of service, with plans to attend St. Ambrose University and earn a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy while staying active in campus ministry. He ultimately wants to work with children with autism.
Sprucing up yards and landscape cleaning are among the tasks teen volunteers perform through Catholic HEART Workcamp. As they work with low-income families, they not only bring Christ to them, but find Christ among them.
An important part of the Catholic HEART Workcamp experience is the gathering time in the evenings, when the students can attend Mass and adoration, and share and build their faith with other Catholic teens.
